Pediatricians in Brazil and the US warn against vegan diet for up to two years

The case of American Sheila O’Leary, sentenced to life in prison in the United States, accused of murdering her own son for malnutrition and dehydration after submitting him to a diet with only fruits, raw vegetables and breast milk, raised doubts among parents.

Is it possible to feed babies and children exclusively on a vegan diet?

Among medical societies – such as the American Academy of Pediatrics and the SBP (Brazilian Society of Pediatrics) – the recommendation is to avoid a diet without any source of animal origin until the age of two.

But experts admit that, yes, you can even exclude meat, eggs, dairy and other animal products from your little ones’ meals – but you have to be very careful to ensure an adequate supply of nutrients, vitamins and minerals for them.

This involves choosing the ingredients that go to the table well and, in some cases, even going to supplementation with pills and injections.

This entire process must be closely monitored by health professionals, such as pediatricians and nutritionists, to avoid problems in the development of the body and mind.

“The first two years of life are a critical period, in which the child’s brain and body develop a lot and need a wide variety of nutrients”, explains physician Fabíola Suano, president of the Scientific Department of Nutrology at SBP.

“That is, a nutritional deficiency at this stage can represent a risk for life”, he adds.

The lack of some of these compounds that appear exclusively or in greater abundance in foods of animal origin, such as vitamin B12, iron and calcium, for example, is related to deficits in bone development and difficulties in the formation of crucial brain structures. for memory, learning and reasoning.

Find out below what are the main recommendations of experts and how vegan parents and mothers can ensure good health for their child, if they want to keep them away from meat, eggs, milk and the like during childhood.

Controversy at the table

Entities such as the WHO (World Health Organization) and the Ministry of Health recommend that the baby be fed exclusively with breast milk until the sixth month of life.

At this point, the mother’s diet can make all the difference: as the essential nutrients reach the baby through breast milk, it is important that the woman eats well and has adequate levels of vitamins and minerals.

“Often, the mother who adopts a vegan diet needs to take vitamin B12 injections, to ensure that this compound is in her milk”, exemplifies Suano, who is also a professor at the Department of Pediatrics at Unifesp (Federal University of São Paulo).

When breastfeeding is not possible, the alternative in these cases is to use formulas based on hydrolyzed rice protein or isolated soy protein.

Breastfeeding, by the way, continues to be recommended until the age of two – during this period, however, it is worth introducing other foods little by little.

This is precisely where many parents who adopt a vegetarian or vegan diet are in doubt: is it possible to exclude some or all animal products from their children’s diet?

The most recent SBP guideline on the subject, published in 2017, admits that “a well-balanced vegetarian diet is capable of promoting growth and development in childhood and adolescence”.

The document is in line with the position of other entities in the industry, such as the American Dietetic Association and the American Academy of Pediatrics.

“However, because they are more vulnerable to developing nutrient deficiencies, [essas crianças] must be properly monitored and often supplemented, as the risk is proportional to the smaller variety of food groups consumed”, the text points out.

The vegan diet specifically, which cuts out all animal products, is viewed with reservations in these first two years of life.

“It’s necessary to talk to the family and find a middle ground. If the parents don’t want to give them red meat, wouldn’t it be possible to prepare a fish or an egg?”, suggests Suano.

“If between six months and two years the child is subjected to a totally vegan diet, he has a very restricted food and nutritional diversity”, believes the doctor.

The pediatrician points out that this debate is far from reaching a consensus, even among specialists in the field. “Some entities say that, yes, it is possible to adopt veganism from six months of age, while others consider the practice risky and contraindicated”, she compares.

“But there is at least one unanimity among all associations: the family that chooses to reduce or completely cut the children’s consumption of meat, milk and eggs must follow up very carefully.”

This guidance is even found in materials published by the Brazilian Vegetarian Society.

Like any kind of lifestyle, eliminating animal ingredients has its advantages and disadvantages.

On the one hand, such a diet is related to the consumption of fewer calories and saturated fats, which reduces the risk of conditions such as obesity and cardiovascular diseases in childhood and throughout life.

The higher content of dietary fiber, coming from vegetables, is also good news for the functioning of the digestive system – although this can interfere with the absorption of some minerals.

On the other hand, the absence of meat, eggs and dairy products on the plate represents a risk of lack of iron, vitamin B12, calcium and zinc in the body.

The big issue, experts explain, is that some of these micronutrients are more common in animal products – fruits and vegetables even carry a good amount of them, but their bioavailability (or the portion our bodies absorb from them) is lower. .

how to avoid problems

It is also necessary to consider that a lower calorie or low fat diet is not always good news. After all, children need these nutrients in the right measure to grow well and healthy.

A review of studies carried out at the Hospital das Clínicas de Ribeirão Preto, in São Paulo, pointed out that children adhering to a vegetarian diet tend to be shorter and thinner, although their average height and weight are still within the range considered normal.

Another constant concern of experts is the absence of essential micronutrients for health.

An example of this is iron, which makes up hemoglobin, a molecule present in red blood cells responsible for transporting oxygen to all parts of the body. It is also essential for immunity and the manufacture of neurotransmitters in the brain.

The deficiency of this mineral is related to “alterations in neuropsychomotor development, compromised immune system and decreased work capacity”, lists the SBP material.

To ensure the presence of iron in the diet, it is possible to start with some simple strategies, such as soaking beans for 12 hours. This decreases the presence of molecules that affect the bioavailability of this mineral.

Another idea is to consume vegetables rich in this micronutrient, such as lentils, beans and peas, along with sources of vitamin C, such as oranges and lemons, which increases the absorption of iron by our body.

Calcium, present in milk and some dairy products, is essential for the formation of bones that support the body and ensure locomotion.

It is even possible to find this mineral in some vegetables, but its bioavailability is also an important barrier.

For children who are on a completely vegan diet, the safest route is calcium supplementation, which guarantees a sufficient supply for skeletal development.

The same recommendation goes for vitamin B12, which only appears in meat, offal and eggs.

As it is essential for blood circulation and for the structure that covers and protects neurons, doctors and nutritionists prescribe supplements or indicate the consumption of fortified foods.

Other micronutrients that require extra attention in this context are zinc, iodine, vitamin A, folic acid, vitamin D and omega 3.

In some cases, it will be necessary to reinforce the consumption of some fortified foods or expand the supply of specific plant-based ingredients, which contain a certain amount of these compounds.

In others, it remains to go for supplementation through capsules, tablets and injections.

At the end of the day, a pinch of common sense and the monitoring of health professionals will be essential to ensure a good development of the child who is on a vegan or vegetarian diet in these first years of life.

“We know that vegetarianism and veganism have grown a lot in recent years, whether due to the search for a healthier diet or concern for the environment”, analyzes Suano.

“And we, as health professionals, need to talk to families, understand their point of view and reach a satisfactory and healthy middle ground for all involved”, concludes the pediatrician.

This text was originally published here